San Jose's Angel Villalona is returning to the California League after a four-year absence. He's been away after being charged with murder in 2009. The charges were later dropped.

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The California League's sales pitch about being one of the premier circuits in Minor League Baseball is filled with solid testimony.

Several of the game's top stars, a group that includes Evan Longoria (Visalia), Buster Posey (San Jose) and Mike Trout (Rancho Cucamonga), all played in the Cal League before reaching major-league stardom. And the 2013 Baseball America list of the top 100 prospects is a who's who of former Cal League players (there are 15 ex-Cal Leaguers ranked, including four former members of the Visalia Rawhide).